French speed limits

[Roland Alcock]

A wonderful tale. I have squirrelled that away with other similar wonders. 

Roly

[Tony Griffiths]

Let’s just say it was a very fast car, and it wouldn’t go any faster
 ....I like that. I really like it!

---

One trick, when on French rural roads, to clock the local registration code and follow such a car; the driver will (hopefully) know the cameras are and the speed traps. A few months ago I tracked an ancient 405 with what looked like a young girl at the wheel: 100 mph on the open bits; 30 mph through most villages (some rather quicker); the odd slowing for the 70 k.p.h. road crossings (most ignored). Not a guaranteed method of getting away with it, but fun to try.
I have an electronic pass for the autoroutes and tend to use those - generally empty (no wonder, they are very expensive) and stress-free - unlike the UK with nose-tail-cars at 80 mph 24/7, even in the wet.  Driving standards have improved immeasurably in France during the last fifteen years, though they all still tailgate at the motorway speed limit; needless to say, when that happens the time I take to overtake that convoy of trucks increases somewhat the closer they get (most autoroutes are just two-lane of course). Need to go faster? Tuck in behind the local plumber and his 100 mph, 15-year-old Citroen van with mulitple dints in every panel.

[Reckless Rat]

Since 2009 French registration plates have a format AB- 123- DE and the Departmental code is now optional. There is no guarantee that a new style plate carrying a "30" for example marker at the extreme right ( the bit in blue) is from the Gard. All you can be sure of is that when the plates were issued the owner elected to have the 30. You can choose what you like. These new style national plates remain with the car for its entire life and have no real relevance as to where the current owner may live. They might, but then again they might not. Only the old style plates (the rears are yellow, which are numbers, two or three letters and then a departmental code) can be relied on to be local and they are becoming fewer and fewer as the cars are sold on or scrapped. Having said that, three of my cars carry old style plates with the Gard (30) marker.

[Tony Griffiths]

Since 2009 French registration plates have a format AB- 123- DE and the Departmental code is now optional. There is no guarantee that a  new style plate carrying a "30" for example marker at the extreme right ( the bit in blue) is from the Gard. All you can be sure of is that when the plates were issued the owner elected to have the 30. You can choose what you like. These new style national plates remain with the car for its entire life and have no real relevance as to where the current owner may live. They might, but then again they might not. Only the old style plates (the rears are yellow, which  are numbers, two or three letters and then a departmental code) can be relied on to be local and they are becoming fewer and fewer as the cars are sold on or scrapped. Having said that, three of my cars carry old style plates with the Gard (30) marker.

Yes, not as easy as it once was. The result is that, instead of a tour though the lovely countryside with a stop for lunch in a decent reatuarant, one tends to either cross the country in one go without even stopping for fuel - or miss the autoroute costs entirely by going through Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. i.e. a visit to Switzerland costs £90 less this way than going through France (and diesel in Luxembourg is just 0.99 Euro a litre). Of course, in a Seven, things are very different and the country roads can be a great pleasure.

[merlinart]

One thing that the wife and I are very fond of now is simply driving through France just on old D roads. If you work on the assumption of just travelling at a mere average of say 35-40mph which is all you'll achieve this way, it can be a marvellous experience. We've done this twice now even at Calais just turning first right out of the port in the town and amble, down to the Pyrenees. Slightly different though when travelling east as m/way as far as Reims then off on D roads, but all fun, just need to stick to limits all the time.

Stating the obvious, when doing one of the speed courses, they suggest dropping a couple of gears when coming into 30/40mph limits, and I've got into the habit over here of doing this...in a modern car of course!

Arthur

[Bob Culver]

On the topic of speed cameras, it is big biz in NZ. Apparently the most lucrative camera last year was on a light traffic “single carriageway” secondary approach to a somewhat remote small city.  Obviously motorists expect the 100kph open road limit, fail to spot the dubiously appropriate speed sign, and exceed the posted 80 kph. On very light traffic an amazing haul of 47,000 tickets in a year, $4.8 million (L2.4 million). Even the 7th most lucrative camera pulled $2.5 million. Minimum fine is $30. There is no signage announcing cameras.

Does  the UK govt realise what they are missing?

[John Mason]

Bob, I suspect some are the same as in the UK (However the authorities will never admit it) They are more about bringing in revenue with the bonus of keeping a few driver within the speed limits. The facts speak for themselves if every driver drove within the limits the cameras would be out of a job. Having said all that I do not condone breaking speed limits deliberately.

John Mason.